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To those who follow the tech press there were few surprises at Apple's annual iPhone update.

Yes, the high-end 5S handset gets a fingerprint sensor. Yes, there's a new cheaper version, the 5C, made with plastic back which comes in colours. Yes, both come equipped with Jony Ive's revamped iOS7 which is now ready for launch.

But perhaps the biggest surprises were over what was not included.

No NFC (near field communication) chip to turn the handsets into digital wallets. No boost in the number of megapixels on the camera. No option for 128 gigabytes storage and no bigger screen.

There was also no super-cheap price for the 5C. In the UK it will actually cost more than some people had been paying for the 4S. Instead that 4S model now becomes the lowest cost option to tempt those into Apple's ecosystem.

Even so the event still generated frenzied reaction in some parts of the net. Here's a selection of what appeared online.

Some law enforcement authorities have criticised Apple, Samsung and other smartphone makers for not doing enough to prevent thefts of their devices. A fingerprint reader, alongside other security features in iOS 7, will help to address this problem.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the fingerprint reader on the iPhone 5S is the fact that it can only be used to do two things - unlock the phone and verify iTunes purchases. Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller confirmed to AllThingsD that developers won't get access to use a fingerprint as a means of authentication.

Splitting the iPhone product line into the 5S and 5C marks a change in strategy for its boss Tim Cook

There's also the question of how consumers will respond to fingerprint scanners in an era where revelations about the National Security Agency's data-collection practices have come under increasing scrutiny. Apple says your fingerprint will be stored on the device and never uploaded to its servers, but privacy advocates will likely have additional questions for the company.

With its plastic back, the iPhone 5C was apparently going to be the most affordable iPhone yet. I personally wouldn't call £469 "affordable", but I suppose that depends on your outlook. It's at least cheaper than the previous iPhone 5.

Overall, the 5C offers the same speed and performance as the iPhone 5. Given the price, it may not turn out to be the device for emerging markets, but it at least gives interested iPhone buyers more choice without feeling like they're just going with the "old" models.

Both models are touting a fairly underwhelming spec of 8 megapixels of imaging power - will it be enough to lure in mobile shutterbugs who may be tempted by the massively megapixel-powered 41MP Nokia Lumia 1020 or 20.7MP Sony Xperia Z1?

Apple opted to make the pixels of its camera sensor bigger rather than increase the megapixel count

The M7 [chip in the iPhone 5S] is what Apple calls a "motion co-processor." Essentially, its job is just to deal with data coming from sensors without actually activating the full power of the A7 - saving tons of battery life. This makes a whole bunch of new fitness tracking capabilities possible.

The cheaper 5C could be a way for Apple to entice middle class Chinese consumers (new iPhones are typically too expensive for many in China). Apple also faces a strong threat in China from Xiaomi, a local company that offers Android phones with high-end specs at low prices. But while Xiaomi can offer its Android phones for around $130 with no contract, Apple's iPhone 5C will still cost quite a bit more without the help of a carrier subsidy.

It's true that we pretty much knew the score before Tim Cook even stepped on stage. But now that everything's out in the open, my gut reaction is that Apple has made a shrewd move by offering a bit of choice to consumers.

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The BBC's Richard Taylor tests the new Apple iPhone 5S and 5C smartphones

Twitter:

Wow fingerprint sensor to unlock on the new iPhone. Sad day for psycho girlfriends everywhere. @_xcami

If you're complaining that the iPhone 5S is still only 8MP, you don't get camera technology. @jearle

I'll go for the one that doesn't have "DNA tracking" data or whatever the heck they're calling their fingerprinting (eg NSA helping) software. Liz Hamilxton

Reddit:

Fingerprint reader is a fantastic addition for corporate users and probably casual users as well (because now they might bother to use some phone security). waterbed87

Biometrics for security concern me, especially on a mobile device that holds all of your personal information. They can be some of the easiest things to break, and once broken, they're broken for life. MrFluffyThing

[The 5C] really should be called the iPhoneM, as in for margins. Margins naturally decline on the iPhone 5 as time goes by, therefore to keep profit margins the same, stop production on the older model and release a cheaper C-class phone with savings from aluminium to plastic. beat_the_heat

I would never get a 5C. But my wife wants one badly. This is why Apple is smarter than most people in this thread. warchant

BBC links

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